


The Way It is

by koalathebear



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-28 16:01:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/309585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalathebear/pseuds/koalathebear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set at an unspecified time in season 2. Cam and Booth are eating in the diner and Cam can't help asking Booth a question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way It is

"Yeah well, it was fine in the end - but a whole lot closer than I like it to be," Booth remarked as he pushed his plate aside. He glanced up inquiringly. "You? Quiet day?"

"It was all right."

He knew that tone. "What's wrong, Cam?"

"Nothing," she said too swiftly and began talking about a case that had been prosecuted successfully. Booth listened intently, nodding and congratulating her on the outcome. "Dr Brennan was very persuasive on the stand today," she said without any inflection in her voice.

"You were lucky. You never know how it's going to be with Bones," he said with a reminiscent laugh. "Move the jury to tears or alienate the hell out of them. I break out in a cold sweat every time she's on the stand."

They continued to talk. Booth smiled absently as Cam reached out to touch his hand, her fingertips lingering on his skin in a light caress. She was a woman who liked physical contact. When they touched, it was usually Cam who initiated it and Booth rarely objected although he usually shied away from any public displays of affection.

"Seeley."

Booth raised an eyebrow. "Like that is it? What's up, Camille?" he asked her curiously.

"You and Dr Brennan ..."

He frowned. "What about us?"

Cam exhaled slowly and pushed her plate aside. "Actually. That's what I want to know. I know I don't have a right to ask."

Booth grimaced. "I can tell I'm not going to like this one.

"Have you ever slept with her?" Cam's voice was blunt.

" _Woh_ , no pulling punches there, _Camille_."

Cam smiled crookedly. "That's me - I come out swingin', _Seeley_."

Booth shook his head disbelievingly. "Ok you're right that it's none of your business, but for the record the answer is no," Booth said flatly as he pulled his hand away from hers as if he'd been burned. "We're not together like that - I shouldn't have to tell you that."

"Yeah, just partners," Cam said steadily.

"Not 'just'," he said coolly. "We're also good friends. Just where are you going with this?" he asked her bluntly.

"You see?" Cam demanded. "Just mention her name and you're up in arms, defensive and protective. Dr Brennan's self-appointed knight in shining armour." Cam's voice was very matter-of-fact. "You don't see it, but I do, Booth. When Brennan's in the room - no one else exists. Even if you're not looking at her, you're thinking about her. You fight with her, you criticise her - but god help anyone else who dares to cross her."

"Cam, this is ridiculous - you know that."

"Is it?" Cam asked him evenly. "I might know you better than you know yourself. Zach said that Jack was all about Angela, well you're all about Temperance Brennan."

Booth looked incredulous. "Oh please," he protested. "Next you're going to say I call her name out during sex," he said sarcastically.

"No, you don't," Cam countered immediately. "You don't have to. Aloud anyway," she told him.

Booth shook his head. "This is insane, Cam. Or at least borderline paranoid. I never figured you as being the jealous type."

Before Cam could reply, the door of the diner swung open. Booth knew it was Brennan before he even glanced her way. The impatient way she shoved open the door, the careless mannish stride of her lanky body and the elusive fragrance of her perfume - a scent that was much softer than Cam's.

"I'm glad I found you, Cam. Sorry for breaking up the date," Brennan said with genuine apology in her voice, a voice that occasionally seemed too deep for a woman. "But a body's just been brought in. It's got a lot of flesh and skin on it - more your domain than mine," Brennan told Cam who nodded in acknowledgement.

Cam's dark eyes rested on Booth's face steadily. His eyes were very grim but he said nothing.

"Uh ... have I interrupted something?" Brennan asked uncertainly. "I'm sorry, I tried your cell but you weren't answering and they said it was urgent. The others are also out looking for you - they were also talking about triangulating your position from your cell phone, but we worked out it wasn't switched on." Her voice trailed off as Booth and Cam continued to stand and stare at one another steadily.

"There's nothing to interrupt," Cam told her gently. She smiled calmly. "Nothing at all." With those words, she was gone.

Brennan watched her leave, a concerned look on her face. "Booth - did I say something wrong?" There was a questioning note in her voice as she stared up at her partner's face.

There was a very gentle expression in Booth's eyes when he replied. "No, Bones - you're fine."

"Are you sure? I mean you know how I often piss people off without even knowing it," she said with a touch of endearing glumness in her voice as she glancing back at Cam.

That made Booth smile again and it was a tender smile. "Seriously, don't worry about it. Cam's just in a mood."

He turned his attention back to his food.

"So are you in love with her?" Brennan asked unexpectedly and Booth choked.

"What is this? Day for strange out of the blue questions of a highly personal nature?" Booth demanded, looking very put out.

"I was just curious! You two have been dating for a while. Angela says it's just sex, but you told me before that it's never _just_ sex and so I wondered if ..."

"Sit down and let me finish my coffee, Bones," Booth interrupted her ramblings.

Brennan sat down and glared at him. "Bossy and grumpy," she observed, reaching out to take his coffee without asking. She took a sip of it while glancing at him over the rim warily. He drank his coffee like she did, very black.

Without missing a beat, Booth took the mug back and pointed an admonishing finger at her. "OK, what have we said before about using unmanly terms to describe me? Please do not describe an FBI agent as grumpy. You can say annoyed. Angry - pissed off."

She grinned and seized the finger that he had pointed in her direction so rudely.

"Peevish?"

 _"No!"_ he said emphatically, pulling his finger away.

"Actually, I think peevish is very appropriate," Brennan countered as she reached for his coffee again.

"Another cup for the thief please," Booth said, signalling to the waitress who grinned and nodded.

"From memory you stole her coffee yesterday," the waitress pointed out.

"What are you? The Coffee Karma enforcer?" Booth demanded, his lips twitching.

Brennan grinned. "See? It's not theft, it's quid pro quo, Booth," she told him as she glanced down at his plate. "Not eating your fries?" she asked him.

He pushed his plate towards her. "What's mine is yours, take it, Bones," he said in resignation.

"Snotty?" she suggested.

"Disapproving," he corrected her. Brennan smiled her slow, mischievous smile and tilted her head to one side. Booth reached out and brushed the hair from her face, allowing his fingertips to linger on the smoothness of her skin. "Please. Stop now Bones, I'm not sure I can cope with any more of your unflattering descriptions of me."

"Was Cam happy to hear about how the case went?" she asked him, watching as he absent-mindedly poured ketchup on her fries for her.

"Yeah fine," he said, watching as she nibble on a fry. The look of inquisitive expectation in her face made him smile despite himself.

"Is everything all right?" Brennan asked him, swallowing before she spoke.

The waitress set the cup of coffee down and laughed when both reached for it at the same time.

"You two never change."

Booth glanced at Brennan.

"No, we don't," he said as if to himself.

"You didn't answer my question, are you ok?" Brennan repeated.

He reached out and took her hand. She looked startled and eyed him as if he'd suddenly gone insane.

"Yeah, it's all good," he told her, and he smiled.

  
**End**   



End file.
